What are the chances my body will reject a corneal transplant? due to my eye scarring some years ago after an infection, i need to have corneal transplant surgery. while i'm prepared to for the surgery and recovery time, i'd like to know more about the po

The : The chance of a rejection reaction increases with increasing blood vessels in the scarred cornea. These blood vessels are referred to as vascularization. A normal cornea has no blood vessels in it. If your cornea has little or no vascularization the risk of rejection is much lower than in a cornea with alot of vascularization. The blood vessels will allow your body's immune cells to flow to the new cornea which the immune cells may recognize as foreign and, then trigger a rejection reaction. The type of infection you had may also effect the possibility of rejection. The symptoms of rejection are redness, pain, and blurred vision. Fortunately, if detected early a rejection reaction can often be suppressed with treatment , and the patient does well. Your ophthalmologist will be glad to discuss your concerns.

Rejection: After corneal transplantation in this scenario, your 5 year success rate with a clear graft would likely be in the 80-90% range. If you have a lot of neovascularization, it may be lower. Ask your corneal surgeon.

Low risk: Unless the cornea is highly vascularized, i would not worry about it. Follow your doctors med schedule religiously, and call right away for any rejection symptoms and most rejections can be reversed. A rejected cornea can be replaced if it can't be reversed. More concerning to me is the risk of trauma to the graft. Such injuries can be devastating so consider glasses for protection at all times.

Do not worry: A corneal transplant rejection is the least of your worries after the surgery. With 5-year graft survival rates greater than 90% with only topical drops to suppress the immune response, the benefit of surgery (better vision) far outweighs the risk of rejection. However, there are other significant potential complications of this surgery. Ask your cornea specialist about your specific eye risks.